His involvement with the Via Campesina and Abahlali baseMjondolo movements means that Patel’s democratic and anti-capitalist credentials need no bolstering. As a fervent opponent of the world’s current food system and the oppression of women and people of color that it both reinforces and benefits from, Patel has long advocated for a complete overhaul of our attitude towards food, and its value, starting from the very fabric of our predominantly patriarchal society. As fascism rears its ugly head once more, as sea levels rise, and slavery around the world balloons, our food production must take a different path.

Sitting in the University of Gastronomic Sciences’ canteen as he waited to give a talk to the UNISG students, Raj Patel was kind enough to spend some time talking with us, sharing his thoughts on the challenges that we face today, the importance of gastronomy and education in changing the status quo, and the movements that are leading the way towards real, positive change.